Electric tap.



O. R. MARSH.

ELECTRIC TAP.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 23, 1915.

Pateted San. 7,1919.

2 SEETS-SHEETI cltlllflla lil-Il GLR. MARSH. ELECTRiC TAP. APPLxcATloNmm Nov. 2,3, 1915.

Patente Jan. 7, 1919.

Titz-:6:51.

ORLANDO R. MARSH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC TAP.

j Specification f Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 7, 1919.

Application led llovembe;` 23, 1915. Serial No. 62,985.

Toall whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ORLANDO R. MARSH, a citizen ofthe United States,-anda resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented vcertain newand useful Improvements in Electric Taps, of which the fol-low! ing is aspecification. f-

rlhe general object of my invention is to vbe installed either when thestandard electric device is initially installed or ata time subsequentto the initial installation; and

' which, when so initially or subsequently installed, shall become asubstantial part of v the device to which it is applied.

A further object of my invention is to provide an electric tap which canbe installed in conjunction with present devices without in any wayaltering or cutting such devices, and which at the same time, wheninstalled will appear as a part of the device itself and not as anobvious attachment therefor.

My invention consists generally in the novel form, arrangement andconstruction of the parts and in the method of application, whereby theabove named objects, together with others which will appear hereinafterare attained; and my invention will be more readily understood byreference to" the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferredembodiment thereof.

In the'said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical view of a standard form of wall switch, mountedin a wall, some of the parts being shown in. elevation and others insection.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the switch with the canopy, or face plate,removed better to.

disclose the arrangement of the switch parts.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my novel switch complementer and anelectric plug for coperation therewith.

Fig. i is a view similar to Fig. 1, but illustrating the application ofthe device shown in 3 to the switch.

Fig. 5 is a front view of the construction shown in Fig. fi with theieee plate, or

canopy, removed to disclose more clearly the arrangement and coperationof the parts.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through an ordinary electric wall outlet .andbracket.

Fig. 7 is a face View illustrating my novel wall bracket complementerand electric plug for coperation therewith; and y Fig. 8 is a sectionalview similar to Fig. 6 but illustrating the device of Fig. 7 placed incoperating relation therewith.

In modern building construction it is the usual practice, where thebuilding is wired for electricity, to provide wall switches for the moreconvenient operation of some of the lights, which are not within easyreach. With respectto other of the lights, however, such for example asa wall bracket, it is customary simply to provide a switch in the socketof the lamp. It often happens that it is desirable to operate some otherelectric device adjacent to a wall switch or adjacent to a wall bracket,and so, in some buildings,

, base board outlets are provided for this purpose. In a great manyinstances. however, no base board outlets are provided and even whi 'ethey are provided they do not always provide the desired number ofoutlets in the desired locations. Furthermore, such base board outletsare expensive, that is to say, they cost as much to apply as any otheroutlet since they are a complete device in themselves and require theusual box, wiring, and insulation safeguards. It is mv purpose toprovide a method of and a means for providing desired additional outletswhich shall be adapted for use and application eitherA when the buildingis initially wired or at some subsequent time, but which, in eitherevent, shall become in effecten integral part of the device to which itis attached and not simply a makeshift, protruding attachment which isboth unsightly and unsubstantial. To this end I have devised a methodand means whereby devices, such for example as a wall switch or :L -wallbra lret,can be complemented in such a way that they serve as a duplexor multiple outlet. To accomplish ythis purpose I provide a mat ofinsulating material substantially eoextensive with the wall box to whichit is to be applied, and in this mat I arrange suitable electriccontacts formedl and adapted to receive an electric plug at one end andto receive electric wires at the other. I provide a suitable opening inthe mat Ito permit projection therethrough oi the electricel devicewhich it surrounds, also pref- :ibly make the niet dat so that it canbev vthe canopy so that close inspection is necessary to determine thatit is` not `simply n Well switch or n wall bracket of the usuelconstruction.

Hoving' thus stated 2generally the object, purposes, and construction ofmy device and its application to the uses intended, l shull novydescribe it in detail in conjunction with several Well known forms ofWall boxes or outlets.

Referring' first particularly to Figs. l to 5, inclusive, 2 representsthe usual forni oil znetzil box used for the housing,Y of an electricdevice und which is permanently und rigidly secured in lthe will 3 ofthe building. When the terni wull is herein used, it shall be construedto nieun either the Well, iloonor ceiling. oi the building. ln thisinstance, the device which it. houses is o. 'wall switch `-ll/Vlrile nxyinvention is not concerned Willi the exact ctnistruetion of the switchWl, l shnlh nevertheless, brit dosr-ribe-the parts und its method orplace-I ment in the wall bott The box 4 is inode oi' desired insulating;:unterlel and contains metal nir-` bers 5', '.7, and 8,' threaded toreceive bindjinfr'srrcvvs il, y1G., l1. and i9. '13 und lslnre pushbuttons whereby tlio'knife blade tney be reused to Hinke or breuk thecircuit between the opposite sides through the medium oi the devil-es ld:1nd 17, and 'i8 und if). filuitnble electric Wires 20, 21, 22, and Z3nre cnrried to and secured upon the members 5, li, 7, sind respectively. The switch box lis very rigidly and pernmnently,secured to thewill box 2' by means o'l the plate flwhich extends between ears 25 oithe Well box, secured by the screws Q6 and to the box si b v ine-.ins ofscrews 27. To hide the switch 'parts Ytroni view, it is customary toproviderw 'ffice pluto or canopy 28 which is secured to the plete 2i byineens of screws 2.9 ings 30 in the plete Q4.

ln this innnner the Woll box il is rigidly secured in thefwull of. .thebuilding. 3, nudA the switch and canopy i that the device. muy beopernted continuously without getting out oi' order. there must be norelulive movement oi' the pnrts whit-li should be fixed. The switch lustdcstribcd simply serves the purpose ol' ronvcnieully turning' on or olln lmnp or other elw'lrirul unit :it sonu less convenient point. ltolli-'n luippeus that this switch is so lois. "egg couctingin withthreaded openeeted that some other electrical device, such,

forexample, as n floor lamp, e piano lamp, or an electric fan, isdesired in close proxiinit". To secure :in outlet for this `purpose7 ithas been hitherto necessary to con- ;sider this desire when installingthe Wiring und provide n bese bonrd outlet, or, es is generally theense, to carry o Wire from n lmnp fixture to the device. Theirstcousideration is seldom given, and the second expedient unslightly. Iobvite both of these objections by my novel method. For the purpose ofproviding on outlet at e point Aadjacent to n wall switch, I provide nnuit of insulating material 31, slightly larger than the Wall box 2 andprovided with an opening 32 of sullicient size to nceonimodate the.switch 4. The inet 31 is provided with sockets 33 for the reception ofthe pins 34 of the plug 35 and with binding,T posts 36 and 37. I am notconcerned with the actual form of plu and contacts :ind have thereforesimply illustrated the pin and recess contact construction. find itconvenient| to make a. slight depression 37 in the met adjacent thebinding,r posts 36 und 37 'so that they do not, unduly project beyondthe inner edge of the insulating met. l nlso provide the met 'withopenins 38 above and below, through which e bin ingr screw may be placedas ivill bekshortly described. To apply this met to the switch, 'un isbut. necessary to remove the canopy 28, loosen the screws 26 which holdthe switch l in pince. und then bodily pull the switch outwardly. Thiscan be readily done without interfering with the wiring, :is there isnlvnys suflicient slack in the Wires to permit such movement, and, infact. the switch was originally/ so installed. This being done, the nuit31 is slipped in place over the switch will t und tint. against the wall3 of the build` I 'wires 36'* :Ind 36" to the proper binding' posts ot'theswiteh, the out-let which l pro vide muy be operated only when theswitch is `in operative position.v or independentof the switch. :is nniybe desired. When the canopy 28 is replaced. es is indicated in Figa l.the. switch has substantially the ap penrzuu-e which it had before,except that it is set out. slightly Jroin the wall, hut by making theiusulntioninnt. of proper color, it is hardly noticenble. l desire tocull pnrlculnr attention to the tout that. no ports ot the switch havebeen filtered und thnt the outlet provided is rigidly and permanentlysecured to the woll box 2 so that there is llli sion and provided withan opening through which the bracket arin projects and means to securethe canopy 0n the bracket.

3. An outlet adapter comprisingin com- 5 bination a Wall box, anelectric device in the Wall box, a mat for surrounding the Wall box,said mat being made up of sections having a central aperture to receivethe electric device; electric contacts and binding posts in 10 one ofthe sections of the mat, means for sus pending the mat from the electricdevice and a canopy engaging the mat and secured in place on theelectric device.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, this 16th day ofNovember, 1915, 15 in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ORLANDO R MARSH Witnesses:

ARTHUR WM. NE S0 1 JOHN R. Lemme

